Statistical card operated machine



March 14, 1939. R. E. PAGE STATISTICAL CARD OPERATED MACHINE Filed Aug. 23, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet l 6/ ZNQE NTOR. By A TTORA EYS.

March 14, 1939.

R. E. PAG E STATISTICAL CARD OPERATED MACHINE Filed Aug. 23, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS.

March 14, 1939. R. E. PAGE STATISTICAL CARD OPERATED MACHINE e Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 23, 1934 INVENTOR.

'ATITORNEYS.

March 14, 1939.

F IG.9.-

i R. E. PAGE STATISTICAL CARD OPERATED MACHINE Filed Aug. 23, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 a 71mm 1 WEEIJEEMIIIIH:

1? .Alllllllliifiiilli! ATTORNEYS.

March 14, 1939. R 5 PAGE 2,150,243

' A STATISTICAL CARD OPERATED MACHINE Filed Aug. 23, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 FIGJS.

FIG.20.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES 2,150,243 s'mrrsrrcar. cam) ornaarnn MACHINE Ralph E. Page, Binghamton, N. Y., assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 23, 1934, Serial No. 741,029

4 Claim.

This case relates to accounting machines controlled by perforated, data bearing cards and is directed to the following objects:

To feed separate, individual cards abreast through the machine, each to control an accounting section, thus multiplying the card handling.

capacity of the machine.

To continue operation of the machine so long as such individual cards are feeding through one side of the machine even though the feed of cards abreast has ceased.

' To feed small cards through the machine in the same column relationship to analyzing brushes as when larger cards are feeding through 1:) the machine.

To control by means of the smaller cards the effectiveness of an entire group of analyzer brushes and accounting elements and to cut out of operation a group of such accounting elements 20 when small cards are not feeding along one side of. the machine but feeding along the other side of the machine.

Other objects and advantages will be brought out in the following parts of the specification and 25 will appear from the drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the machine with the gear case removed;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 4, showing the new form of feed for a small card;

Fig. 3 is a representation of the old form of feed in connection with a small card;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the supply hopper when 35 containing a double stack of small cards;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view through the machine below the lower analyzer section;

Fig. '7 is a detail of the operating means for disabling the slitter and correlated mechanism;

40 Fig. 8 is a. section on line 8-8 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 9 is a section on line 99 of Fig. 6; Fig. 10 is a detail section along lines Ill -l0 of 'Fig. 12;

Fig. 11 shows a part of Fig.8 with the slitter in disabled position; Fig. 12 is a detail of the card aligning and squaring mechanism taken along line l2- i2 of F .''0 Fig. 13 is a section on line l3-l3 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 14 is a section online ll-I l of Fig. 2; v Fig. 15 shows the large card before it is completely slit into small card s; g

Fig.'16 is a'section through the supply hopper 55 along lines i6--l8 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 17 is a detail of the latch means for holding a partition plate in the supply hopper;

Fig. 18 is a detail of static removing means ap-' plied to the ejector belts which eject the strips cut out of the large card when it is divided into 5 two;

Fig. 19 is a view showing the relation of the lower analyzing means to a pair of small cards passing abreast through the machine, and;

Fig. 20 is a circuit diagram of the parts of the 10 machine pertinent to the invention.

The invention will be explained in connection with a machine such as disclosed in Patents 1,827,259 and 1,926,883, although it is generally applicable to other tabulating or analogous ma- 1! chines.

A general explanation of the machine and its purpose will first be given. The control cards are provided with parallel columns containing information according to a selected code. The present 20 invention makes use of the Hollerith code in which each column has ten index point positions, any one of which may be perforated to represent 0 to 9 according to its differential position in a. column. Some of the columns of a card contain numerical values or amounts while other columns contain classification data pertinent to the amount items. Thus as indicated in Fig. 15 the largecard C is adapted for use in some such place as a post office where money orders are issued. It will be further noted that the large card 0 has two' duplicate sections which, for convenience, may be referred to as small cards 0. Each card 0 is perforatedwith the'information relative to a different money order so that the information on one section may have entirely'no relation to the information on the other section except possibly for common classification data. It is thus feasible that the large card C be separated into its sections and these latter be considered and 40 handled as separate, individual, small cards for orders. It is jalso convenient after the punching ofthe large card "to tabulate the information regarding the two m'oney orders from the large card to save" time "and wear onthe machine. However, after the. tabulatingop'erations, it is usually necessary toseparatethe large'card so that each section 0 related to a different transaction may be separately sorted. Thus the two sections of a card may each relate to a different issuing office or file and in some cases it would be necessary to sort the cards according to the issuing ofilce or file. In such event, the separate sections of the card must be separately sorted and it follows that for this purpose the large card C must be slit into two individual cards c.

In brief, then, the present machine provides means for tabulating the information on the large card C and after completion of the tabulation provides for shearing the cards into its separate duplicate sections c. The machine is also adapted to tabulate information from a large card without shearing it. Further, the machine is adapted to feed the small cards 0 as individual cards and tabulate information therefrom.

With this general explanation in mind the machine will now be explained in detail, first with regard to the operation on a large card C and the slitting of the latter into small cards c.

Referring to Fig. 1, gear I0 is constantly rotated during tabulating operations by suitable clutch connections from a motor (not shown). Gear III, through idler il, drives central gear I2. Shaft l3 of gear l2 carries complementary, star-shaped cams i4 and i5, respectively engaged by follower arms-l6 and ll of a common shaft I3. The projections of one such cam lie intermediate the projections of the other cam and the rise of one projection of a cam eoacts with and positively moves its follower arm at the.

same time that the drop of a projection of the other cam is permitting its follower arm to recede. Thus, cam I4 is positively moving arm I6 and shaft l3 clockwise (as viewed in Fig. l) at the same time as arm I I is moving into a depression of cam I5 and cam I5 is positively moving arm I1 and shaft l3 counterclockwise while arm I3 is moving into a depression in its cam l4. In this manner, shaft I3 is positively rocked in forward and return directions and no dependence placed on impositiveiy acting springs.

Referring to Fig. 4, shaft I3 carries two picker arms is (see Fig. 5) connected to slides a provided with card pickers 2|. Upon clockwise movement of shaft l3, pickers 2| move the bot-. tom card C of a stack in supply hopper 22 out of the hopper and into the grip of a first pair of feed rolls 24 and 25. It will be noted that the feed of the cards by the pickers is intermittent and thus the successive cards are fed at suitable distances apart. Feed rolls 24 and 25 and three other 'such pairs of successively disposed and similar feed rolls advance the card first between brushes 28 and contact roller 21 of the upper analyzing section and then between the brushes 23 and common contact roller 23 of a lower analyzing section.

As seen from Fig. 1, the inner rolls .24 are geared for rotation to central gear |2 while the outer rolls 25 are geared to the inner rolls.

Ihe last pair of feed rolls 24 and 2! feeds the card to the pair of feed rolls 33 and 3|, which moves the card through coacting rotary slitters 32 and 33. These slit the card C into small sectional cards 6 which are seized by electing rolls 34 and advanced to rotary stacker 3 which delivers the small cards to the receiving magazine I 36. In slitting the large card, a narrow strip 3 (seeFig. i5) is cut out. This strip curls downwardly during the cutting operation, abuts guide plate 31 and moves below a plate 3' and onto a belt 33 (see Figs. 4, 12, and 18). The strip is then gripped between belt 33 and a coacting belt 40 and ejected from the machine.

In dry weather, it has been found that because of static, the strip 8 clings to the surface of one of the belts and travels around again with the belt thereby interfering with the ejection of the strips S which follow. To overcome this condition', the surfaces'of the belts are kept wet bya wick 4| (see Fig. 18) which contacts the lower belt. The wick isset inside aJar 42 containing water and secured by bracket 43 to the frame 44 of the machine. The wetting of the belts relieves the static condition and overcomes the tendency of the strips S to cling to the belts.

In order to slit the large card C accurately into duplicate sectional cards 0, it is desirable to positively align or square the card with respect to the slitters before the slitting operation. For this purpose, the feed of the card is interrupted before the slitting operation, the leading edge of the card is positively engaged to stop the card, and the card is moved transversely of the machine against a side stop.

Referring to Figs. 4, 6, and 12, when card C leaves the lower analyzing section, it is fed by the last pair of rolls 24 and 25 to rolls 30 and 3|. When the rear edge of the card leaves the grip of rolls 24 and 25, its forward edge is Just emerging from rolls 30 and 3|. 'At this time, rolls 30 are moved away from rolls 3| to interrupt the feed of the card. Simultaneously, transverse stop fingers 46 move upwardly into the path of the card and engage the forward edge of the later to positively stop the card and aline its forward edge in a transverse direction. 'While engaged by stop fingers 43, a pair of longitudinally alined side fingers 41 engage one side of the card and shift the card transversely to abut its opposite side with an elongated bar- 48 (see Figs. 6 and 9) forming a side stop and locator. The card is thus squared with respect to the slitters and accurately and positively positioned in a predetermined location prior to the slitting operation. After the card has been so positioned,

stops 48 move down out of the path of the card,

side fingers 41 are retracted, and rolls 3!! and 3| come together again to resume feed of the card.

Separation of rolls 30 and 3| is broughtabout by movement of rolls 30 away from rolls 3|. For this purpose, the shaft 33 of rolls 30 is rockably mounted at each end by means of an arm 3| on a stub shaft 52. Also pivoted to each stub shaft 52 is a lever 53 which intermediate its ends rotatably embraces shaft 50 and and at its free end carries a follower roller 34. The roller 34 rides along the periphery of a wheel 55 having a short cam bump 36. When roller 54 rides up cam bump 56, it causes lever 53 to rock counterclockwise (as viewed in Fig. 12) against resistance of or spring-pressed rocker arm 51. The counterclockwise movement of levers 53 raises shaft 50 to separate feed rolls 30 from companion rolls 3|.

Connected to each lever 53 by means of a link 53 is a lever 59 pivoted to the frame on pins 60. The two levers 53 at opposite sides of the machine (see Fig. 6) carry between them a transverse bar 3| to which are fixed the stops 46. Accordingly, when levers 53 are rocked counterclockwise to raise feed rolls 30, through links 53 tum or to an overfeed by rolls and 5i or by rolls'5l alone after the rolls 55 have been moved away from the card. Further, stops 45 aline the forward edge of the card in a transverse direction at right angles to its line of feed.

Wheel 55 in addition to its peripheral cam bump 56 also has on its outer face a cam de-' pression 52 (see Fig. 6). Wiping the outer face of wheel 55 is a follower roller 55 which is carried by a bracket 54 secured to a plate 65 which is formed at its upper end with the slide fingers 41. Bracing plate 65 is bent plate 66. Plates 55 and 55 are secured to the opposite sides of a sleeve 51 rotatably and slidably mounted on shaft 55 of wheel 55. To constrain the plate 65 to slidable movement, it is notched at the rear to receive and slide along a guide bar 59. When cam bump 55 of wheel 55 coacts with follower 54 of levers 55 to raise feed rolls 55 and stops 45, cam depression 52 in the face of wheel 55 reaches follower 55 of the side locating device and permits a spring 15 (see Fig. 6) to move the side locating device with its fingers 41 towards the side stopbar 45. In this movement, fingers 41 engage the adjacent side of the arrested card and shift the card until its far side engages stop 45. The position of fingers 41 and the card after this operation is indicated in Fig. 6.

It is also desirable to stop rotation of lower or outer feed rolls 5I when the card is arrested and alined in proper position in order that the rolls 5I by frictional coaction with the card do not attempt to advance it after rolls 55 have been raised and stops 45 moved into the path of the card. Rolls 5| are on a shaft 12 (see Figs. 4, l2, and 13) provided with a gear 15 (see also Fig. 6) meshed with gear 14 on the shaft 55 which also carries cam wheel 55. Shaft 55 is rotated by constantly rotating, main gear I5. Referring to Fig. 13, it is seen that gears 15 and 14 have complementary blank portions 15 and 15, respectively. To thesides of the gears 15 and 14 are fastened similarly shaped complementary plates 11 and 15. Due to these plates 11. and 15 and blank portions 15 and 16, theretation of gear 15 by gear 14 is intermittent and for a short period, gear 14'rotates without effecting rotation of gear 15, its shaft 12, and feed rolls 5|. The coaction of plates 11 and 15 further. holds the shaft 12 positively against rotation. The idle period of gear 15 substantially coincides with the period of.separation of roris 55 and 5|.

Briefly, the above operations of interrupting the feed of the card and squaring it are.

Separation of rolls 55 and 5|, interruption of rotation of rolls 5i, raising into action of cross stops 45, and transverse movement of-side fingers 41. The above operations all take place in a brief interval but sufficient to square the card after which rolls 55 return to coaction with rolls 5|," thereby holding card in accurate position, cross stops 45 drop, side stops 41 move away from the side of the card, and rotation of the rolls 5| resumes to feed accurately positioned card C to the slitters 52 and 55.

Referring to Figs. 9 and 11, upper rotary slit-' ter 52 is a disk with each circumferential edge forming a sharp cutting knife. The slitter 52 is mounted on shaft 55 also carrying feed rolls M to positively grip the card and assist in moving it through the slitters. In order to provide an effective coaction between slitters 52 and 55, such as to slit the card cleanly, it is desirable that the cooperating and overlapping cutting edges be in close, firm contact. Were both slitters 52 and 55 fixed against axial movement, then the slightest play or wear in their carrying shafts or bearings or in the slitters them-v selves would prevent the intimate contact between the slitters which is desired. Accordingly, lower slitter 55 is made in two similar, axially divided parts 55a and 55b, each firmly held by spring means in close contact with the cooperating side of upper slitter disk 52. Each of slitter parts 55a and 55b is rigid with a sleeve 85 from which pins 55 and a key 51 extend to be slidably received in openings in a collar 85 fixed to a common shaft 59. 81 slidably couple the slitter parts 53a and b to shaft 59 and at the same time connect the slitter parts to the shaft for rotation. Surrounding pins 55 are coil springs 95 which constantly urge sleeves 55 and the slitter parts 55a and b to slide along shaft 59 towards each other and into firm, intimate, invariable contact with the sides of slitter disk 52.

Shaft 59, as well as upper slitter shaft 55 is driven by a gear train 9! from the central gear I2.

' The slitter parts 55a and 55b firmly support the card, during the slitting operation, in its own plane while the cutting edges of slitter 52 rotate to a point below the plane of the card to coact with parts 55a and b in shearing out the narrow strip S to divide the card into two. Due to the support of the card by parts 55a and b, the adjacent severed sides of the card sections are not bent downwardly by slitter 52 but remain perfectly fiat. "This is one reason for cutting out the narrow strip S to split the card C instead of merely slitting card 0 along a single dividing line which would result in one card having a bent edge.

The cards C which are slit into separate sections may be referred to as large, parent, or wide cards while the cards 0 which result from the slitting operation may be referred to as small, divisional, or narrow cards. The operation of cutting the cards C into cards 0 has been explained. When it is preferred to feed cards C through the machine without slitting them or when the small cards c are feeding through the machine, it is desirable to disable the card slitting means. 52 and 55.' In the case where small cards 0 are being fed, it is desirable to disable the slitters because if they remained in operative position, the slightest deviation of a card 0 from its normal line of travel would slice off a part of the card or bend its edge.

To disable the slitters, the lower slitter shaft 89, is moved transversely away from the upper slitter shaft 55. Accordingly, the lower slitter shaft is carried by rocker arms 92 pivoted on studs 95 carried by the frame. Straddling shaft 59 at each end is a forked arm 94 extending from. a sleeve 95 which is freely rotatably carried by a shaft 95. Springs 91 connected to arms 94 urge the latter and the rocker arms 92 upwardiy to operatively dispose the lower slitter with respect to the upper slitter.

On shaft 95 are fixed collars 95 each having one face in contact with a face of a sleeve 95.

Projecting from said face of a collar 95 is a quad- The pins 56 and key.

95 clockwise with the shaft 99. Consequently,

' forked arm 94 integral with a sleeve 95 also rocks clockwise and because it straddles shaft 99 rocks the carrying arms 92 of the latter in the same direction about pivots 93. The result ,is that the lower slitter shaft 99 and its slitter parts will be moved downwardly away from the upper slit-a ter and therefore out of cutting cooperation with the latter.

Shaft 96 is rocked by means of a crank arm I08 which is on the outside of the machine, socessible to the operator (see Fig. 7). When crank arm I06 is in full line position (Fig. '7), a latch pin or plunger I01 slidably mounted in handle I09 of the crank arm is held seated in a notch I09 of the frame'by means of a spring H0. The latch pin is provided with a finger knob I. To swing crank arm I05.c1ockwise (as viewed in Fig. 7), the operator first pulls knob III out, releasing latch plunger I01 from notch I09. The arm I 08 can then be swung clockwise to dotted line position, Fig. 7. In this dotted line position, latch pin I01 seats in a notch III to hold the crank arm stationary. The swing from full line to dotted line position is'about 95.

As stated above, crank arm I06 is fixed to shaft 95 and therefore when the arm swings 95, as explained, it will also rock shaft 99 and collars 98 at each end thereof clockwise through the same angle. For about the first 90 of this movement, lugs 99 on collars 98 do not contact lugs I00 on sleeves 95. Through about the last five degrees, the lugs 99 and I00 engage so that sleeves 95 are swung through substantially 5,resulting in a substantially corresponding swing of lower slitter shaft 99 away from upper slitter shaft 80, thus separating the slitter 39 from 32 and rendering them incapable of cutting the cards.

When the lower slitter shaft 99 is moved to inoperative position, springs-90 which force the slitter parts 33a and b towards eachother, if left free to act, would position these slitter parts so close to each other as to prevent proper return of the lower slitter to operative position. This is because the lower slitter parts would then engage and be stopped by the circumference of upper slitter disk. As a result, not only would the lower slitter parts fail to return to proper operating position with respect to the upper slitter disk but also the cutting edges of slitters 92 and 39 would be seriously damaged by the improper contact between them. Even if the lower slitter parts were not abruptly stopped by contact with the upper slitter disk but could be forced post the upper disk, the action would be injurious to the coacting cutting edges. To avoid these complications, the movement of the lower slitter shaft to disable the slitters is accompanied by a spreading apart of the slitter parts a and b, against resistance of springs 90, axially of shaft 00 to positions indicated in Fig. 11.

The axial separation of parts flaand b is accomplished by the rocking of shaft 90 in the manner described. Referring to Fig. 10, shaft 90 is provided with a pair of radially projecting studs II5 initially located in the wide part of a heart.- shaped slot H0. One-half the heart-shaped slot I Iiis formed in a sleeve I'I'l and the complementary half of this slot is shaped in a similar sleeve In, both rotatably carried by shaft 00. When shaft 95 has rocked about 45 in the direction in which it disables the lower slitter the studs III 5 'move down (as viewed in Fig. 10) into the tapering endof slot H0 and camsleeves III apart.

This occurs before the shaft 96 moves the lower slitter shaft down. Forked arms H9 extend from sleeves I I1, each fork of an arm being provided with a roller I I9. The rollers of each arm III are located in a groove I20 of a sleeve carrying one of the slitter parts. Accordingly,

when pins II5 separate sleeves III, arm 8 through the action of rollers II9 similarly separate the two halves of slitter 33, thereby moving the cutting edges of slitter parts 33a and 33b axially away from the cutting edges of upper slitter 92. Then, when the slitter parts 99a and b are swung transversely down, they are apart and that even during disabling of the cutters, no injury can result to the cutting edges.

When shaft 99 is returned to initial position to replace the lower slitter shaft 99 in operative position, the pins II5 do not leave the narrow portion of slot H6 in sleeves H1 until after shaft 09 has returned to operative position. Thus during return movement of slitter parts 33a and b to proper cutting ali'nement with slitterdisk 32, the parts 330 and b are held apart and at a dis-.

tance from the sides of disk 92 and injury to the cutting edges cannot occur.

After the parts 93a and b are in operative alinement, then pins II5 move into the wide part of slot II5 between sleeves II! and permit springs to force the parts 93a and b into intimate contact with the sides of cutting disk 32.

In order to prevent interference with the feed of large cards C or small cards 0 when the slitter is not in operation, the side locating fingers 41 are also disabled simultaneously with the slitter 99. This is effected when right hand sleeve Ill ,(asviewed in Fig. 10) moves to the right to move slitter part 39b in the same direction. Extending from the right hand sleeve III is an arm I22 (Figs. 6, 10, and 12) which when said sleeve II1 moves to the right engages one side of sleeve 6'! to move the latter and the side locating device rigid therewith away from side stop 48. Thus, when depression 62 in disk 55 confronts follower 99 of the side locating .device, spring 10 is unable to move the fingers 41 towards side stop 48. This is especially desirable when the small or divisional cards 0 are feeding abreast because in that case, action of fingers 41 if not restrained mightkick the near'divisional card onto the top of the farther divisional card and clog the feed passage.

It has been explained that one advantage of slitting the large card C into its divisional parts 0 by cutting out a strip S is that the adjacent edges of the divisional parts are not bent downwardly by the slitting operation.

Another advantage is that the divisional cards are less than half the width of the parent card. If each divisional card were exactly one half the width of the parent cards, it would be impossible might occur if in passing through the feed rolls,

one card should be moved the slightest bit faster than the other because of a better frictional grip of its side'of the feed rolls. As it is essential that cannot contact the cutting edges of disk 32 so columns of the cards be in perfect alinement with the analyzing brushes, it is necessary to prevent the slightest possibility that a. card might be moved transversely. For this reason, it is advantageous to divide the card C into small cards by cutting away a strip S, leaving each small card less than half the width of the large card. This further permits the use of a partition plate I25 (see Figs. 5, 16, and 17) in the supply hopper 22 which is of the width of strip S and divides the hopper into two separate compartments. In effect, the partition plate converts the single wide hopper into a double section hopper. The partition plate separates the two stacks of small cards from each other (as may be seen from Fig. preventing the adjacent side edges of the cards from interfering with the proper feed of either card.

In short, by cutting out the strip S in slitting card C into cards 0, the advantage is gained of allowing for use of a partition plate in the hopper to separate two stacks of cards c from each other, thus permitting the proper and effective feeding of cards side by side and simultaneously through the machine. This saves time in gathering statistics from the cards 0.

In accomplishing the above, it is necessary that each definitely numbered column of a small card 0 be analyzed by a sensing brush 23 assigned to that particular column and further that the relation of the brushes 28 to their columns be the same as when the large card C is being fed through the machine. That is column l of a card 0 should be sensed by the same analyzing brush 28 as column 1 of card C. The fixed relationship of the columns to the various brushes is necessary in order that the results obtained by means connected to the brushes be properly ascertainable. That is it is desired that a print record from columns 1 to 4 of a type bank should relate to columns 1 to 4 of the card c or C, whichever is feeding. It is therefore required to retain the same brush positions with respect to the columns of the small card as with respect to the large card columns. This object is also attained by the use of partition plate I25 which, being of the same width as strip S spaces the small cards and their respective columns exactly as the columns ,were spaced when they were part of the large card C, the brush positions being retained in the same relation to the columns, as indicated in Fig. 19.

Further, since cards 0 derived from a single card C are exact duplicates, in size and column position, either of such cards may be placed in either side of the hopper with its columns in alinement with the allotted brushes.

. The partition plate I25 is also made use of for v a controlling functionrelated to the feeding of the small cards before the slitters 32 and 33 have been moved out ofcooperation. When the slitters are in cooperation, the divisional cards 0 should not be fed because, as stated previously, their edges might be cut or bent by theslitter and locator fingers 41 might shove one card onto the card abreast. Referring to Fig. 16, contacts I26 secured to the bottom of hopper 22 are norrnally closed. These contacts are in the circuit which controls the running. of the machine as w ll be more fully explained in connection with circuit diagram, Fig. 20.

place, engages the lower contact carrier I28 and opens contacts I25. This opens the operating circuit of the machine. To close this circuit, contacts I29 (see Figs. 6, 7, and 20) are provided in parallel with contacts I26. Contacts I29 are normally open but when closed shunt contacts I26 to complete the machine operating circuit, as,wlll be more fully explained in connection with the circuit diagram. Normally open contacts I29 are closed only when the slitters 32, 33 and locating fingers 41 have been disabled. As explained before, the slitters and side fingers are disabled by operation of crank handle I06. When the latter is swung to dotted line position (Fig. 7), portion I08 thereof engages the upper contact carrier I30 and closes contacts I29. With handle I06 latched in dotted line positions, contacts I29 are closed while the slitters and side locators are inoperative. The machine is then in condition for feeding the divisional cards c.

To retain partition plate I25 in position inthe supply hopper 22, the latter has guideways I3I and I32 (see Figs. 5, 16, and 1'7) in which the plate is inserted and by which it is held in position against transverse movement. To retain the plate in the hopper, guideway I32 is open at its upper end to permit-a hook I33 on the plate to project therethrough to the front of the hopper. A latch I34 slidably mounted on the front wall of the hopper is adapted to engage hook I33. A spring I35 normally retains latch I34 in operative latching position and it is necessary to grasp a knob I36 on the latch to move it against resistance of spring I35 in order to release the latch from hook I33 and permit removal of partition plate I25.

When the divisional cards 0 are being fed, it is first of all necessary to retain the same correlation of their columns to the sensing brushes 28. This, as already explained, is primarily made possible by making partition plate I25 of the same width as the cut-out S of the large card C. It is also necessary in feeding the small cards to the analyzing sections that they be not moved sidewise to disturb their proper positions with respect to the analyzing brushes. The card data perforations and the analyzing brushes are very narrow and the slightest misalignment of the card would prevent proper contact of the brushes with the perforations. When cards c are feeding abreast, there is normally no tendency once the cards emerge from the supply hopper of being laterally shifted by the action of feed rollers 24 and 25. But as one stack of cards 0 may be less in number than the other stack, after the smaller stack has been exhausted,

cards continue to feed from the other stack.

The ordinary feed rollers would in the latter event exert uneven pressure, on the surface of the cardc feeding alone and move it askew or out of alignment with the brush positions. This can be understood from Fig. 3, showing the type of card feed rolls customarily used in statistical machines. The upper feed rolls A are a rigid unit and spring pressed at the ends to provide for yielding pressure on the-card. So long as wide cards for which the feed rolls have been designed are feeding, there is an equal lifting a card 0 of ,less than normal width feeding, one side of upper. rolls Awill be lifted and the other sidenot; This inclines the upper rolls so that only alinear portion B- of the cardc is, in effect, engaged by a feed roll. The rest of the card sequently, the tendency is to feed the left side of card c (as viewed in Fig. 3) faster than the right side of the card, which results in moving the card askew or transversely so that its columns will not be correlated to the assigned brush positions.

To prevent the above occurrence, upper feed rolls 25 are split or made in two similar sections axially alined with each other, as shown in Fig. 2. As in previous practice, the farther ends of the rolls 25 are movably mounted in rocker arms I4II (see Fig. 1) and are resiliently urged towards the lower rolls 24 by springs Ill. The upper rolls 25 depart from prior practice in being axially split into two sections. Each section terminates in a feed roll 25a which is hollow to rotatably receive a roller I42, each carried by the lower end of a block I43 slidably mounted on frame portion I44 (see Figs. 2, 4, and 14).

The slide blocks I43 are engaged by plungers I45 acted on bycoil springs I45. The springpressed plungers thus constantly urge the inner ends of the split upper or outer feed rolls 25 towards the companion feed rolls 24. In above manner, the upper'feed rolls are divided into two similar, axially separated, sections, each movable independently of the other section so that when one section is lifted by a small card 0, the other is unaffected. Thus, even though a single file of small cards 0 were feeding through'the machine, there would be no tendency of the feed rolls to be set at an inclined position and move the cards askew but each split section of the upper feed rolls would act independently of the other section to feed small cards. In brief, two separate, feed means are provided, side by side, to jointly feed large cards C or to independently feed small cards c, which may be passing through in double or single file.

Provision is also made for stopping the maprovisions mustbe made for keeping the machine running until the latter stack is also exhausted. Only when both stacks of 'cards '0 are exhausted is the machine to stop running. The means for accomplishing the above objects will now be explained with reference to the circuit diagram. Fig. 20.

To start the machine, the operator depresses start key ST to close start key contacts st. With full cards 0 in the hopper 22, partition plate I25 is absent and normally closed hopper contacts I25 are operative. With contacts at and I24 closed, the following starting circuit is formed:

From line I50, through stop key contacts sp (normally closed), contacts I24, clutch magnet I5I, and through contacts st to line I52.

Energization by above circuit of magnet I5I connects in a known manner a motor (not shown) to gear In (Fig. 1) from which the drive of the various parts of the machine is effected, as explained previously.

Energization of magnet I5I also closes contacts I5Ia. With these contacts and either of parallel contacts I 54a or I55a closed, a shunt circuit is completed which by-passes the start key contacts st, permitting-the operator to release the start key without interrupting operation of the machine. Contacts I5la are closed by clutch magis not.contacted by the upper feed rolls. Connet I5I, as already stated. Contacts I54a and I55a are closed under control of the cards. When cards C are feeding, both contacts -I54a and I55a are closed. when a double file of cards 0 is feeding, the same thing is true. With only one file of cards c feeding, only one contact I540. or I55a is closed. With no cards C or c feeding, both contacts are open and the clutch magnet circuit is deenergized to cause cessation of operation of gear I II by the motor drive.

Contacts I54a and I55a are respectively closed by energization of multi-contact relay magnets I54 and I55. To initially energize these magnets, cam contacts I54 and I54 must be closed in addition to normally closed contacts I5Ia and I544. With both these contacts closed, the circuit through magnet I54 is from line I50, through contacts I54, contacts i510, and mag.- net I54 to line I52 while the circuit through magnet I55 is from line I54, through contacts I54, contacts I5, and magnet I54 to line I 52.

Cam contacts I54 and I54 close simultaneously Just before the card leaves the upper analyzingsection and remain closed a short interval following the departure of the card from the latter analyzing section. Thus when the operator closes start key contacts st, he holds the start key down until the pickers 2I have fed the first card through and past the upper analyzing section. During this time, cam contacts I54 and I54 close, as above stated, and magnets I54 and I55 are energized. Energization of these magnets closes contacts I54a and. I550 to complete the shunt path of the clutch magnet circuit, which path bypasses the start key contacts permitting the operator to release these contacts without interrupting machine operation.

Cam contacts I54 and I54 are closed only for a short interval of the card cycle. During the remainder of the card cycle, when contacts I54 and I56 open, provision is made for continuing energization of magnets I54 and I55. This is eifected by providing a shunt circuit for these magnets which by-passes contacts I54 and I50a anda similar shunt circuit around contacts I54 and I510. The shunt circuits include cam contacts I54 and I5! which close during the portion of the card cycle when cam contacts I54 and I56 are open. In series with contacts I54 are contacts I54b closed by'magnet I54 and in series with contacts I54 are contacts I55b closed by magnet I55. Thus, the shunt circuit for magnet I54 is from line I54, through contacts I59, contacts I54b, and magnet I54, to line I52. The shunt circuit for magnet I 55 is similarly through contacts I54 and I55b.

From the above, it is seen that magnets I54 and I55 must be energized to maintain contacts I54a and l55a closed to provide a'shunt path around the start key contacts st. During the greater portion of the card cycle including the entire period during which the card is passing through the upper analyzing section, cam contacts I54 and I54 are closed to maintain magnets I54 and I55 energized, Cam contacts I55 and I54 open when the card has just left the upper analyzing section and close again after a brief gap before the next card reaches the upper analyzer. During this gap in the the card cycle,

. cam contacts I54 and I54 close to maintain the magnets energized. Contacts I55 and I54 are ineffective, however, unless normally closed contacts I5'I'a and I55a remain closed during aforesaid gap in the cycle.

Contacts I4Ia and I54a are opened by'energization of relays I51 and I58. As long as the latter relays are deenergized, contacts I51a and I58a. stay closed and automatic operation of the machine continues. It may be stated here that as long as the cards continue to feed, these relays remain inactive. Hence, while cards are stillfeeding, contacts I51a and I56a are closed and during the portion of the cycle when cam contacts I56 and I56 close as well as for the remainder of the cycle, magnets I54 and I55 will be energized to close contacts I54a and I55a. In brief, while cards are feeding, the by-pass path shunting start key contacts st is closed and when the card feed has stopped to cause both contacts I540. and I55a to open, this by-pass is opened and the machine stops operating.

It is evident then that. to continue automatic operation of the machine, relays I51 and I58 must not be energized during the card cycle. The circuits through these relays are similar and only one will be described. Considering relay I51, the circuit therethrough from line I55 to line I52 would be through relay I51, cam contacts I62, left hand upper brush 26, and contact roller 21 wiped by the brush in the absence of an intervening card.

Cam contacts I62 close only for a brief period while the card is between the brushes 26 and contact roller 21. There is a left hand-brush 26 and a right hand brush 26, each engageable'with a corresponding end strip of the card C which lies section, the two such brushes 26 are insulated by said dead card portions from contact roller 21. Hence, the circuit through relay I51 or I56 is not completed though contacts I52 close. However,

if the feed of the cards has been exhausted, during the period in which a card should be beneath brushes 26, there will be no card there and contact roll 21 will be wiped by brushes 26. During this period, cam contacts I62 will close and the circuit through said relays will be established. This occurs during the card cycle prior to the closing of cam contacts I56 and I56. The problem then is to have contacts I51a and I58a still open when contacts I56 and I56 later close so that the shunt path through magnet I54 and through magnet I55 will be broken. To accomplish this, magnet I51 when energized closes contacts I51b. This completes a holding circuit for the relay I51 which is as follows: From line I50, through relay I51, contacts I511), and cam contacts I64 to line I 52.

Cam contacts I64 close at the same time as cam contacts I62 but remain closed for a longer portion of the card cycle and until after contacts I54a open. In a similar manner magnet I55 is deenergized to open c'ontacts- I550. The-circuit paths through clutch magnet I5I which shunt start key contacts st are thus opened, resulting in deenergization of the clutch magnet to stop operation of the machine.

It has been previously explained how the small cards c are fed through the machine in the same line as though they were still parts of the large card C to thereby maintain the same brush positions with respect to thedata columns. Another purpose of retaining the path of travel of a small card 0 the same as if it were part of the large-card C is to maintain its dead end portion in the same relation to the end brushes 26. Hence with a double file of cards a passing through the upper analyzing section, both brushes 26 will be insulated from contact 21 by the dead end portions of the cards 0 abreast of each other and neither relay I51 nor I58 will be energized. With only a single file of small cards passing through the machine, only one brush 26 will be insulated from contact 21. The other brush will wipe the bare contact 21 and as a result either magnet I54 or I55 will be deenergized, depending on which side the cards 0 are still feeding.

Thus with a file of cards c passing through only the left side of the machine, magnet E54 alone will be energized while the right hand brush 26 will be making contact with roller 21 resulting in energizing magnet I58 to open contacts I58a and break the circuit through magnet I55. Energization of a magnet I55 or 555 will open one of contacts 154a or I55a but the other contact will remain closed so that the circuit to the clutch magnet will not be interrupted.

Only with the absence of cards 0 at both sides of the machine, will the opening of both contacts I540. and I55a result and deenergization of clutch magnet I5I take place.

-The control of the accounting mechanism according to the information on the cards is effected by the lower analyzer section. Magnets I54 and I 55 are also utilized to select the portion of the lower analyzing section which is to be effective for controlling the accounting mechanism when a single file of divisional cards 0 is feeding. As is well-known, the analyzing brush feels a perforation in the card column at a differential point in the card reading cycle and thereupon energizes. a magnet which sets adding means in motion for the remainder of the card cycle. At the same time, a printing control magnet is energized to stop a type bar in a differential position corresponding to the controlling perforation in the card column.

For convenience of illustration, only one magnet to each card column is shown in Fig. 20. This magnet may represent the printing .control magnet. The magnets are divided into two sets, the set ML being correlated to the lower analyzer brushes 26 adapted to analyze cards 0 passing along the left hand side of the machine and the other set M-R being correlated to the brushes 28 adapted to analyze cards 0 passing through the right hand side of the machine.

When only a single file of cards 0 is feeding at one side of the machine, the brushes 28 adapted to sense a file ofcards at the other side of the machine will wipe the bare contact roller 29 and accordingly energization would result of the set of magnets correlated to the latter brushes. This would cause useless operation of accumulators and would enter undesirable numbers into the latter.

from the machine. To obviate the above objections, provision is made ,for rendering the It would also cause unde-- sirable printing on the record sheet which issues magnets M--L or M-R when only a single file of cards is feeding, magnets ML being selected for energization by the analyzer when cards '0 are feeding through the left hand side and magnets M-R being selected when cards 0 are feeding through the right hand side of the machine. The .selection is effected under control of the cards themselves. As explained previously m connection with the automatic machine operating circuit which by-passes the start key contacts, when cards 0 are passing along the left hand side of the machine, they cooperate with the left hand brush 25 of the upper analyzer section to control continued energization of magnet I54. Similarly cards 0 at the right hand side cooperate with the right hand brush 26 to maintain energization of magnet I55. When no cards c are passing through one side of the machine, the corresponding magnet I54 or I55 is deenergized. Thus, if a file of cards is feeding only on the left side, then magnet I54 is energized and magnet I55 is deenergized. These magnets control a plurality of contacts including contacts I54c and I550, the former in series with the set of magnets M-L and the. latter in series with magnets MR.

To permitenergization of a set of magnets, the contacts I54c or I55c must be closed. If cards are passing only on the left side of the machine, magnet I54 is energized and contacts I54c are closed while magnet I55 is deenergized and contacts I550 are open. Thus the magnets MR cannot be energized although their correlated brushes 28 are wiping the bare contact roller 25. Magnets I54 and I55 also close parallel contacts I54d and I55d in the card reading and magnet circuit. With only magnet I54 energized, only contacts I54c and I 54d are closed. When a perforation occurs in the card passing through the left side of the lower analyzer, the

following circuit is completed.

From line I50, through contacts I54d, cam contacts I (closed during the card reading period), contact roller 25, the brush 24 engaging roller 25 through the perforation, a plug socket I61, plug connection I85, a plug socket I55, the magnet Ms-L connected to said plug socket, and through'contacts I54c to line I52.

When only a single file of cards 0 is passing through the right side of the machine then magnet I55 alone yvill be energized and contacts I54c and I54d will be open so that above circuit could not be made through a magnet ML but contacts I55c'and l55d would be closed so that a circuit. similar to above could be made through a magnet MR.

' Briefly, summarized, the machinemperates as follows: I

When feeding large cards C. the machine is usually conditioned for slitting them into divisional cards 0 after the analysis of the cards to control accounting operations. To condition the machine for slitting the cards, crank handle I06 (Figs. 6 and 7) 'is moved to the full line position (Fig. 7). The cards C are divided into two individual sections c by slitters 52 and 53 andthe resulting divisional cards 0 delivered to thereceiving magazine ".j

when feeding small cards a through the machine, the supply magazine 22 is separated into two compartments by a plate I25 (Figs. 5, 16, and 17). The plate opens contacts I25 and in order to start the'machine, the operator is compelled to move crank handle III to the dotted analyzer effective to energize only one set of line position (Fig. '1) to disable the card slitting and locating mechanism and close contacts I29. These latter contacts permit the circuit of the clutch magnet I5I (Fig. to be closed when the start key contacts at are manually closed. When the first card leaves the upper analyzing section, cam contacts I55 and I55 close to establish circuits through magnets I54 and I55 which thereupon close parallel contacts I54c and I55a. These latter and contacts I 5Ia in series therewith by-pass the start key contacts and thereafter the machine operates automatically as long as cards 0 are feeding at either side of the machine.

When the feed of cards 0 is exhausted at one side of the machine, a brush of the upper analyzer section makes contact with conductor 21 and at a period in the cycle which does not occur during the period of closure of cam contacts I55 or I56, magnet I51 or I58 is energized to open contacts I5'Ia or I55a in series with said cam contacts. Then when contacts I55 and I55 close after the card reading period, the circuit through magnet I54 or I55 is not made and contacts I54c or I 550 open, depending on whether the cards 0 along the left or right side of the machine have been exhausted. With contacts I54c open, circuits cannot be made through magnets M-L and with contacts I55c open, circuits cannot be made through magnets M-R. Thus a file of cards along one side of the machine selects correlated magnets and accounting apparatus for operation while a file of cards along the other side of the machine selects other magnets and accounting apparatus for operation.

The differential selection of the magnets in each set is made under control of the lower analyzer brushes 25 according to the reading of perforations in the cards and the previous passage of the cards through the upper analyzer determines whether the brushes correlated to one or the other or both sets of magnets M will be effective,

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modificadetails of the device illustrated and in its operation may -be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an accounting machine; a supply hopper containing a plurality of stacks of control cards and mechanism for feeding cards from said stacks singly or in plural files through the .machine to control accounting operations, the

cards when fed in plural files being in lateral alinement as they are being fed, said feeding mechanism including a feed roller split intermediate its ends into substantially 'alined sections, each section being substantially of the widthof a single file of such control cards, and resilient means for pressing each such section separately from the other into gripping contact with the card whereby the feed roller will exert an even feeding pressure on the surface of the cards regardless of whether single or plural" files of cards are being advanced by the feeding means. v

2. In an accounting machine having means to hold a plurality of stacks of cards; mechaniun, 7s

including means common to all the stacks of cards, for feeding cards from one or more of said stacks along separate, spaced paths through the machine to control accounting operations, a control means for causing the feeding mechanism to operate to feed cards from said stacks, a plurality of devices for detecting the presence or absence of cards in each of the separate paths, and means under control of said card detecting devices for rendering said control means effective to cause operation of the card feed mechanism only as long as said devices detect the presence of cards in at least one of said paths.

3. In an accounting machine having means to hold a plurality of stacks of cards; mechanism for feeding cards from one or more of said stacks along separate, spaced paths through the machine to control accounting operations, a control means comprising a circuit including switch means and a card feed clutch magnet for causing the feeding mechanism to operate to feed cards from said stacks, a plurality of devices for detecting the presence or absence of cards in each of the separate paths, and means under control of said card detecting devices for rendering said switch means effective to close said circuit, and thereby cause operation of the card feeding mechanism, only as long as said devices detect the presence of cards in at least one of said paths.

4. In an accounting machine having means to hold a plurality of stacks of data bearing cards; a single feeding mechanism for feeding cards from one or more of said stacks along separate, spaced paths through the machine, analyzing means to which the cards along said paths are fed and including a common analyzing member for the cards of the different paths and analyzing portions coacting with said member and disposed along the separate paths, separate sets of accounting control elements, one set for the cards of each path, and controlled by the portion of the analyzing means for the cards of the related path in accordance with the data on the latter cards, controllers, one for each set oi! accounting control elements, to condition the latter for control by the releated analyzing portion, a plurality of devices for detecting the presence or absence of cards in each of the separate paths, and means under control of said card detecting devices for selectively rendering said controllers inefiective upon the depletion of the cards of the related path and thereby preventing the analyzing means for the latter cards from controlling the set of accountingcontrol elements related to the depleted cards.

RALPH E. PAGE. 

